Flint church sues State Farm after insurance company refuses to cover ceiling collapse

FLINT, MI -- The pastor of a Flint church says State Farm
has acted like anything but a good neighbor when the insurance giant refused to
cover damage the church's sanctuary sustained when portions of its ceiling came
crashing to the ground late last year.

Now, the Rev. R. Sherman McCathern, pastor of Joy
Tabernacle church on Dayton Street and Chevrolet Avenue in the city's
Civic Park community, is hoping a federal judge will step in to make State Farm
foot the bill for the damages.

Joy Tabernacle filed a lawsuit against the insurance
company April 12 in Flint U.S. District Court claiming that the insurance
company is refusing to cover damages from the Dec. 15, 2012, collapse.

State Farm officials declined to comment on the
allegations, citing the pending lawsuit. However, attorneys for the insurance company
claim the damage isn't covered by the church's insurance policy, according to
court documents.

A large hole still remains in the plaster ceiling of the
sanctuary of the nearly 90-year-old church, exposing damaged rafters. Dust and
debris still cover many of the pews more than four months after the initial
collapse.

"We're like David and they're like Goliath," said
McCathern. "They're just taunting us."

McCathern said a State Farm agent initially told him that
the church was covered for the damage and funds were released to help the
church pay for clean-up and purchase a new public address system to replace the
one damaged by the collapse.

The church was told to obtain cost estimates to repair
the ceiling, McCathern said. He added new carpet, refurbished pews and a
replacement organ were all promised to the church to make up for those that
were damaged.

But McCathern said State Farm backtracked on their
promise after an engineer was sent out to inspect the church more than a month
after the collapse. McCathern alleges that the engineer told him the roof was
built incorrectly when the church was built nearly 90-years ago and that is
what led to the collapse. He claims State Farm used that information to deny
the coverage despite the church paying thousands of dollars in insurance
premiums.

State Farm attorneys argue in court documents that the
collapse isn't covered by the church's policy, for reasons including faulty
workmanship.

Flint Township public adjuster Gary Lappin, who
represents the church in dealing with the insurance company, said the church
has suffered a "significant loss" and that correcting the problem would be very
expensive for State Farm.

Court documents filed by State Farm show that the church is
seeking "damages that are in excess of the actual cash value of the property"
at the time of the collapse.

McCathern said he tried to do everything he could rectify
the situation with State Farm but soon realized that he would be forced to file
the lawsuit.

But the pastor said the adversity has not stopped his
congregation from celebrating.

Services were moved to the church's basement. A large, beautiful
sanctuary with wooden pews, stained glass windows and a pipe organ were traded
in for low ceilings, folding chairs and keyboard.

McCathern said that the church has baptized new members
since moving into the basement but surrendered that some of the church's older parishioners
have stopped attending services because getting down the stairs and sitting in
folding chairs is too difficult.

The pastor said he hopes that the lawsuit will allow the
church to repair the damage so it can continue to serve its congregation and its
neighboring community while fulfilling the promise to maintain the building it
made to members of Community Presbyterian Church that was housed
there until 2009.